


Alexander's Final Moments from The Other Side of The Bullet (Revised)

by BurrShotHam711



Category: 18th Century CE RPF, American Revolution RPF, Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: 1804, Burr and Hamilton Duel, Dueling, Hamilton's final thoughts, Hamilton-Burr Duel, M/M, Post Duel, Regret, Short One Shot, Weehawken, july 11, sorry lin, the world was wide enough
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-06-09 15:50:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15270906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BurrShotHam711/pseuds/BurrShotHam711
Summary: a re-telling of Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton's fatal duel that took place in Weehawken, NJ on July 11th, 1804re-uploaded to coincide with Alexander's anniversary of his death and more detail





	Alexander's Final Moments from The Other Side of The Bullet (Revised)

Several things were running through Alexander's head the second he felt the bullet slam into him.

"Why didn't I tell Eliza I was gonna duel Aaron Burr?" "Why didn't I just go back to bed when Eliza offered me to?" "Why did I run my mouth in the first place when I should've kept it shut?"

Alexander Hamilton knew quite well that running his mouth was the one thing that he would pay the price for no matter how many times he tried to keep his mouth shut. 

But enough was enough at that single moment in Weehawken, New Jersey. Alex and Aaron had their reasons why they were enemies. and here's why:  
Reason #1: Burr ran against Hamilton's father-in-law Philip Schuyler for Senator and defeated him.  
Reason #2: Hamilton voted for Jefferson for President thus making Burr Vice President.  
Reason #3: Hamilton was talking shit about Burr for having a more despicable opinion about him.  
Reason #4: Neither one was going to talk nice and blood was going to be spilled and Burr was not hesitant on pulling the trigger and finishing Hamilton off for good. 

This was the final nail in the coffin, the straw that broke the camel's back and the reason why Burr and Hamilton hated each other, it came at a price that would cost Hamilton his life. It was like a bitter pill and Hamilton couldn't swallow it.

They lined up with their seconds William P. Van Ness and Nathaniel Pendleton and Dr. David Hosack, drawn their lots (both went to Pendleton who was Alex's second), took up their positions, they both took aim, Aaron aimed towards Alex's chest, Alex aimed up at the sky (he wasn't intentionally going to kill Burr, he was going to throw his shot away which was his original intention) 

Burr's bullet slammed into Hamilton and he felt a burning sensation radiating throughout his body. It fractured a rib on the right side, ripped through Alex's liver and diaphragm, splintered the second lumbar vertebra, coming to rest in his spine. 

"I'm a dead man" Alex thought, he knew he was paralyzed from where the bullet was and wouldn't live long, he was running out of time. Dr. Hosack was down the hill away from the duelists so he wouldn't be liable for anything that happened, after hearing the gunshots, Hosack ran over and found Alex on the ground broken and bleeding into the dirt. Alex looked over at Hosack and said "This is a mortal wound doctor".

Burr went over to try to talk to Hamilton but Van Ness led him away and told him that he forfeited the right to talk to Hamilton when he shot him and he needed to get out of there, Burr and Van Ness left the area.

Hosack and Pendleton carried Alex back to the boat and on the way home Alexander was drifting in and out of consciousness, Alexander asked Hosack if he could feel a pulse and Hosack said it was very weak. He was then brought to William Bayard's house back in New York. Eliza and Angelica went to Bayard's house and Eliza ran upstairs to see her husband laying on the bed broken, bleeding and hanging onto life by a thread. He felt that the chains were rooting him to the earth. His hand was sticky with his life blood, he was really running out of time, "Oh Alexander, what did you do?" queried Eliza, "I had no intentions of firing at Burr and the only intention I had was to throw away my shot" Alexander said as the bullet was lodged inside him and making it hard for him to breathe. He knew that he would see Laurens, Washington, his son Philip and his mother as they were all waiting for him. He was trying to stay awake but he was so tired and wanted to go home. Finally, Alexander said to her with the last bit of strength he had left: “My love, take your time, I’ll see you on the other side and Remember my dear Eliza, you are a Christian" then at 2pm on July 12th 1804, Alexander's soul left his body. For now he was finally free of the chains that bound him to earth and he would be reunited with his mother, Laurens, Washington and his son Philip. 

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note: I just recently saw Hamilton (in Detroit) April 7th 2019, and OMG it was amazing!! If you haven’t seen it, go see it! It’s worth it! I waited 3 years (I’ve been a fan since November 9th 2016) 
> 
> Sources: The location of where the bullet landed in Alexander is from Ron Chernow's autobiography on Alexander Hamilton Chapter 42: Fatal Errand. Alex saying “This is a mortal wound Doctor” to Dr. Hosack as well as saying Remember, my dear Eliza, You are a Christian to his wife are his actual last words. Van Ness telling Burr that he "forfeited the right to talk to Hamilton when he shot him" is from Lin's episode of Drunk History that he was in that aired in 2016. The lyrics My love, take your time, I’ll see you on the other side is part of Alexander’s monologue as Burr’s bullet seals his fate is from the song The World was Wide Enough from the musical (all credit to Lin-Manuel Miranda for creating a masterpiece! you fucking genius!) I mixed the historical and modern together for Alex’s last words. Rewriting some of this does hit home. One of the songs that inspired somewhat was Home by Chris Tomlin (first time I heard it, it made me think of Hammie ascending into heaven)


End file.
